Bottom Line:
A feasible and effective self-assembly method to synthesize different scale coordination polymers in highly dilute solution (from nanocrystals to microcrystals and to bulk crystals) without any blocking agent has been described.The growth of crystalline particles was controlled by removing the particles at different reaction times to interrupt the growth at the desired size.The nano and microscale particles show better catalytic conversions and selectivities in the hydroxylation of phenols than the bulk crystals.

ABSTRACTA feasible and effective self-assembly method to synthesize different scale coordination polymers in highly dilute solution (from nanocrystals to microcrystals and to bulk crystals) without any blocking agent has been described. The growth of crystalline particles was controlled by removing the particles at different reaction times to interrupt the growth at the desired size. The nano and microscale particles show better catalytic conversions and selectivities in the hydroxylation of phenols than the bulk crystals.

Mentions:
The experimental conditions were modulated to arrest the polymerization process at early stages to generate nano and microscale MCPs particles [8,34]. The MCPs' size increased from nanorods to microrods and ultimately became macrorods (shown in Figure 4a, b, c) with the increase in crystallization time. When the reaction time reached 20 min, the mixed solution became a little turbid, due to the nano-sized crystalline rods formed. Centrifugal separation of this solution gave blue nano-sized particles and the products have basically the same cuboid morphology (Figure 4a). After about 2 h, microscale crystalline rods were obtained by centrifugal separation of another sample solution (Figure 4b) which has the same morphology as the nanoscale rods. Finally, the third sample underwent 6-h crystallization time, the rods became macroscale (Figure 4c) and single crystals suitable for single crystal X-ray diffraction study were obtained after 1 week at room temperature. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy images show the growth of crystalline nanorods to microrods and to macrorods. All of the as-synthesized MCPs were insoluble in H2O, acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol.

Mentions:
The experimental conditions were modulated to arrest the polymerization process at early stages to generate nano and microscale MCPs particles [8,34]. The MCPs' size increased from nanorods to microrods and ultimately became macrorods (shown in Figure 4a, b, c) with the increase in crystallization time. When the reaction time reached 20 min, the mixed solution became a little turbid, due to the nano-sized crystalline rods formed. Centrifugal separation of this solution gave blue nano-sized particles and the products have basically the same cuboid morphology (Figure 4a). After about 2 h, microscale crystalline rods were obtained by centrifugal separation of another sample solution (Figure 4b) which has the same morphology as the nanoscale rods. Finally, the third sample underwent 6-h crystallization time, the rods became macroscale (Figure 4c) and single crystals suitable for single crystal X-ray diffraction study were obtained after 1 week at room temperature. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy images show the growth of crystalline nanorods to microrods and to macrorods. All of the as-synthesized MCPs were insoluble in H2O, acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol.

Bottom Line:
A feasible and effective self-assembly method to synthesize different scale coordination polymers in highly dilute solution (from nanocrystals to microcrystals and to bulk crystals) without any blocking agent has been described.The growth of crystalline particles was controlled by removing the particles at different reaction times to interrupt the growth at the desired size.The nano and microscale particles show better catalytic conversions and selectivities in the hydroxylation of phenols than the bulk crystals.

ABSTRACTA feasible and effective self-assembly method to synthesize different scale coordination polymers in highly dilute solution (from nanocrystals to microcrystals and to bulk crystals) without any blocking agent has been described. The growth of crystalline particles was controlled by removing the particles at different reaction times to interrupt the growth at the desired size. The nano and microscale particles show better catalytic conversions and selectivities in the hydroxylation of phenols than the bulk crystals.